


Lunch with Jacque

by LittleSweetCheeks



Series: Jacque Duval [2]
Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: Meal, Multi, scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29745777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: Nadine meets up with Jacque for lunch.
Relationships: Elizabeth McCord/Henry McCord/Nadine Tolliver
Series: Jacque Duval [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2186274
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	Lunch with Jacque

The restaurant was quiet compared to the street outside, clinking of flatware on plates replacing the sounds of traffic and pedestrians. Squinting a moment as her eyes adjusted to the change in light, Nadine gave the hostess a mild smile. “I do believe there’s a reservation under Jacque Duval.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The hostess made a note on her tablet. “Mister Duval has not arrived just yet, but I can show you to your table. Right this way.”

“Thank you.” As she followed, Nadine looked around with casual curiosity at the other patrons. No one was interested in her, though a few heads would turn soon when Jacque turned up. It wasn’t the same though as going anywhere with Elizabeth. It seemed that no matter how used to seeing the Secretary of State the locals were, there were always more than a few tourists who would point and stare.

“Will this table be sufficient, ma’am?”

“Hm?” Nadine looked first to the hostess and then the table, still in the main dining room but tucked into a corner, offering some degree of privacy. “Yes, it will do.” She placed her bag in the booth on the most visible side, leaving Jacque to have the most privacy.

“Would you like to hear the wine list, ma’am?”

“Um,” her eyes drifted away as she thought, “do you have a Bordeaux?”

“Cabernet Sauvignon?”

“That will do, yes, thank you.” She slipped into the booth, checking her phone again before leaving it on the table, face down and folding her hands in her lap. She was only meeting Jacque today, Aleksi was busy with work, and it always made her a little suspicious of what Jacque was up to when he opted to tag along.

Several minutes later, the waitress returned with the bottle of wine and began to pour.

“You can go ahead and leave the bottle. My friend will make sure it doesn’t go to waste.” Her lips twitched in amusement. As the woman walked away again, Nadine caught sight of Jacque entering the front and waited until he spotted her before grinning widely, standing to greet him once he reached the table.

“Oh, you are a sight!” He laughed, kissing her cheeks. “Sit, sit. Tell me, how have you been?”

She settled back into her seat, watching as he poured himself a healthy serving of wine. “Busy with work, you know how it is.”

“I’m sorry, I do not.” He laughed. “I have people for that kind of thing. But then I suppose you are your Elizabeth’s people, aren’t you.”

“Yes, I am. I work so she doesn’t have to work so hard.”

“A sacrifice and a shame. You deserve to be waited on just as much.”

She couldn’t help studying him, reading his face for any hint of deception. “So, what brings you back to DC? I know there are no shows coming up, believe me, Alison would have made sure I knew. It’s never been like you to make the trip this far without a reason.”

“Yes, well… Aleksi had a commitment, a potential for putting a fresh installation into tour here in the US and I thought, why not?” He shrugged one shoulder. “They spend a few days around here and I come along to look at beautiful things.” He reached out, taking her hand in his. “Also to check up on you again. I can not tell so much over the phone when you are lying to me about how you are doing. I know that now after your little thing with that man.”

His staunch refusal to ever mention or discuss Vincent made her laugh. “He’s dead, I think you’re safe from me wanting him back.”

“I don’t see how you wanted him in the first place.” When she didn’t say anything, he tugged her hand gently to be certain he her attention. “What did you see in him? I wish you would explain it to me.” His voice had lost all teasing, now he sounded genuinely concerned.

Nadine’s smile slipped away as she ducked her face. “I think… I think I was tired of being lonely.” She risked looking back up at him. “I had spent pretty much all of my very short adult life prior to that living with the two of you. I was used to having someone around.” She huffed. “I started law school and had Roman, both of which kept me so busy I didn’t have time to even want a relationship and then…”

“And then?”

“And then Vincent hired me. He worked in Illinois at the time and it was small town life raising Roman as a single mother. Vincent’s wife worked at a firm in town but she loathed living there. I didn’t know anyone, I was just finding my footing. For most of Roman’s childhood, that was my life both in Illinois and here in DC. I was already close with Vincent when Roman decided he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore and suddenly I was very alone with no friends because I’d been too busy to ever make any.”

“And he was there.”

She felt embarrassed admitting it now. “Yes. He started as a drink and a shoulder to cry on and things progressed from there.” With a shaking hand, she reached for her wine and sipped it. “Not my proudest moment.”

“Why did you never tell us?” His dark eyes were watching her closely.

“Oh, I don’t know… The two of you had your work. You were successful and busy and didn’t need to be picking me up off the ground yet again.”

He clearly had an argument against her logic there, but didn’t share it. “And this thing now? I see how much they clearly adore you. How did you get involved with them?”

That memory made her smile. “Liz and I were late at the office and a horrific storm blew in. We’d just come back from overseas, so I had my bags with me. When it became clear the rain wasn’t going to let up at all, she suggested I come home with her, that way the detail would be behind the wheel with their tactical driving training and, as she put it, she wouldn’t have to fear me getting into an accident somewhere.”

“She took you home with her. Seems a bold first move.”

“Yes, well… It was very late and everyone was already in bed and so we did the same, with me in the guest room, but in the morning the house was so… comfortable, you know? The kids were making breakfast and Henry and Liz were reading the paper. I was reluctant to leave.” A waiter turned up to take their orders, ending the conversation momentarily. Once he’d gone again, Nadine sighed. “I started spending more and more time at their house and then one evening the three of us had been playing a board game and when I stood to top up my drink, Elizabeth followed me to the kitchen and kissed me.” At his shocked expression, Nadine laughed. “First all I could think about was how right it felt.”

“And second?”

“That her husband was sitting not ten feet away.”

“What did he do?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Not right then. She and I returned to the game and I was seated on the couch beside him and when I won, he kissed me too.”

Jacque waggled his brows at her as a silent question.

“Nothing like that. It was sweet. I went home and we didn’t discuss it.”

“At all?”

“The next weekend I went over again and they were a bit more tactile, we kissed again through the evening and then they kissed me good night when I left. It carried on for weeks that way, just a little more at a time, until Liz slipped into my office one Friday evening and quietly told me I was welcome to bring an overnight bag and then left it up to me.”

“They wanted you to feel comfortable. I knew they were right for you!” Their food arrived then and he turned loose of her hand to make space for the dishes. Once everything was sorted out, he pressed. “What’s on the horizon then? Will I get to finally design you a wedding dress soon?”

“Jacque!” She gave him a scandalized look. “You know we can’t do that.”

“You mean like Aleksi and I couldn’t do that?”

He had her there. “True.”

“Aleksi is the most important person in my world, you are an obvious close second, but you know that. I did not care about the rules when I knew they were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We don’t always agree, as you well know, and we are so busy much of the time that I joke I can’t remember their face, but…”

“But they are your soulmate.” She finished.

“Yes. They are my soulmate. Do you think Henry and Elizabeth are your soulmates?”

That question made her stop and think. Could they be the soulmates she longed for? It wasn’t that they made her happier, though they did, it was that she felt content with them. Like she was home and safe and loved.

“I can see you thinking over there.” He was smiling when she met his eyes.

“Perhaps. How did you know?”

“Ah! The first time Aleksi got work and had to travel, they went to Copenhagen for three weeks. I was sure I was fine but with each day, I wanted nothing more than to quit my job and follow them. I could live without them, but I didn’t want to. You have many times though when you are not all together, yes?”

“Yes. But normally I am with one of them and the other is gone away. If Henry is gone for work, I still am with Liz and then either I travel at her side or I stay home with Henry.”

“You have never been the one left behind?”

It wasn’t until that question that she’d ever thought about it. “No, I haven’t. And I’ve never been the one travelling on my own either.” She tried to imagine what that would even be like. “I don’t think I’d enjoy it.”

“You don’t want to be on your own.”

“No, I suppose I don’t. I miss them when they’re not around, individually and as a pair. I look for them in a room so I know where they are because knowing they’re there brings me comfort.”

“So the answer then is yes. I ask again, will I get to make a wedding dress for you?”

“If it comes to that, you will be my first call.”

“Good.”

They worked on their food for a bit in silence before Nadine had a question cross her mind. “Jacque?” She waited for him to glance up. “When was the last time you heard from Roman?”

He reached for her hand again. “You should talk to Aleksi, they are better at keeping track of our boy.” He chuckled. “You have ended up surrounded by determined, strong men you know.”

Thinking of her coworkers, one side of her mouth tipped into a smile. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“I could see it as well in your Henry and in… Jason was it?”

She nodded.

“Roman is no different. He’s just young and needed time and space to work out how to be a good man as well. I promise you, you raised a good man.”

“I wish I had your confidence.”

“I will ask Ksi when I get back to them later at the hotel. If they don’t know, I’m sure they will work it out and get you an answer.”

“Thank you.” It hurt her deeply, but the only information she’d gotten about her only biological son in years had been through Aleksi and Jacque.

When they finally finished their meal and it was time to go their separate ways, Jacque walked her as far as her car before pulling her into a hug. Nadine let herself enjoy it for a bit. When he pulled away, she tipped her face up to him, smiling when he grinned and cupped her cheeks.

“You are so very loved, my Little Dancer. I can see how much love you have from your Elizabeth and your Henry, but remember that Aleksi and I will always love you as well.”

“I’ll remember.”

He kissed her crown and then took a step back. “If Aleksi gets this show up and running, I will see you again. And visit your family again.”

“Of course.” She nodded. As she watched him away, she wondered how she’d managed to have it all.


End file.
